THE PRESIDENT'S DAILY BRIEF 14 NOVEMBER 1968

• Document Type: FOIA
• Collection: President's Daily Brief 1961-1969
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 0005976461
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: T
• Document Page Count: 10
• Document Creation Date: September 16, 2015
• Document Release Date: September 16, 2015
• Publication Date: November 14, 1968

Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2015/07/24 : CIA-RDP79T00936A006500280001-5
The President's Daily Brief
ecret 14 November 1968
23
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THE PRESIDENT'S
DAILY BRIEF
14 NOVEMBER 1968
1. East Germany -
Berlin
2. Czechoslovakia
The East Germans are pumping up
West German fears with new rumors of
further restrictions on travel to West
Berlin. At practically no cost, the
East Germans thus test West German and
allied reactions to another slice at
the West Berlin salami, put a little
heat into allied relations, and drain
off some more of the West Berliners'
morale. In Bonn, some officials are
predicting the imposition of new East
German controls by tomorrow.
Dubcek and his liberal 'Communist
colleagues will be asking the party
Central Committee today to approve fur-
ther concessions to Moscow's require-
ments for."normalization." The party
plenum will probably go along, and may
even have to submit to the inclusion
of?Soviet-backed conservatives in its
top leadership.
Student leaders are defiantly
planning a general strike and street
marches if the conservatives pick up
much ground. Dubcek says he will an-
swer protests with force.
* * *
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3. Yugoslavia
4. United Kingdom
The Yugoslays are feeling the
pinch of Soviet economic retaliation
for their opposition to the invasion
of Czechoslovakia. Moscow'has can-
celed negotiations on several impor-
tant Yugoslav sales.contracts and de-
ferred talks on next year's trade pro-
tocols, and Soviet banks have refused
to purchase Yugoslav commercial paper.
These and other pressures, if contin-
ued, could put a sharp crimp in the
Yugoslav economy, and a complete break
in Warsaw-Pact commercial relations
would severely depress it.
Although Belgrade
Pact tradingpartners
,agreed not to let politics interfere
,with trade relations, distrust of Mos-
cow will lead the Yugoslays to take
out insurance by broadening their com-
mercial contacts with the West. In a
real crunch,.they-would have to reverse
the liberal trend in their domestic
economic management and appeal to the
West for new credit assistance,
and
its Warsaw
The latest British Gallup Poll'
shows another drop in the Labour gov-
ernment's popularity. Support for the
Conservative Party was rated at 50.5
percent, for Labour only 32. The poll-
sters interpret their findings as anti-
Labour reaction rather than .a positive
response to the Conservatives, even
though the opposition party gained 10
percentage points on Labour since the
last poll. .Only -20 percent of those
polled approved of the government's
record, and 60 percent expressed posi-
tive disapproval. Thirty-one .percent
approved Wilson's personal record, a
drop of 12 percent, and Conservative
leader Heath gained one percent over
the last poll to win the approval of
37 percent of the electorate.
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. Guatemala
6. Ecuador
7. Pakistan
President Velasco has finally de-
clared Ecuador's "acceptance" of last
year's Declaration of Punta del Este
on the principles animating the Alli-
ance for Progress. He did so at a
weekend press conference in which he
had some choice words for his predeces-
sor, Otto Arosemena, for the grandstand
play that left Ecuador's president the
only nonsigner.
Velasco also went out of his way
to stress that he is looking forward
to meeting President-elect Nixon and
the other American presidents at .a new
hemispheric conference to "revitalize"
the Alliance.
Ayub will be free with the trun-
cheon if rioting continues following
former foreign minister Bhutto's ar-
rest. He has the forces necessary to
contain any difficulties.
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Top Secret
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Top Secret
FOR THE PRESIDENT'S EYES ONLY
1.) Special Daily Report on North Vietnam
2.) North Vietnamese Reflections of U S
Political Attitudes
Top Secret
16 -
14 November 1968
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Special Daily Report on North Vietnam
for the President's Eyes Only
14 November 1968
I. NOTES ON THE SITUATION
Recent Developments: The North Vietnamese have
stepped up daytime supply activity and road repairs
in southern North Vietnam since the 1 November bomb-
ing halt. More than 200 trucks were noted in pho-
tography of 10 November at a ferry crossing just 11
miles south of the 19th Parallel. About 200 trucks
were also noted within the Vinh city limits in 8 No-
vember photography. Before 1 November only light
traffic was observed in both these areas. Farther
south, photography during the past week has shown
as many as 170 trucks--mostly moving south--on Route
15 leading to the Mu Gia Pass.
-Recent photography also indicates that for the
first time since the,February 1967 Tet bombing halt,
the Communists are using coastal freighters with
capacities of up to 2,500 tons for moving cargo
south of the 19th Parallel. Rear .services communi-
cations on shipping off the coast of southern North
Vietnam up to 10 November shows substantially more
shipping capacity in use than was reported by pilots
before 1 November. It cannot yet be determined
whether an increase in daylight trucking and ship-
ping means an increase in total supply activity or
only some shift-over from night to day operations
,now that bombings have stopped.
Photog-
raphy prior to 1 November had shown that routes lead-
ing into the Laotian panhandle were extensively dam-
aged and were apparently having difficulties at times
supporting through traffic.
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Reaction to Reconnaissance Missions: US recon-
naissance missions over North Vietnam are drawing
mixed reactions from Communist air defense forces.
There have been 15 unmanned reconnaissance flights
north of the 19th Parallel since l_November, most of
which drew some kind of enemy reaction. Three of
these aircraft were shot down.
The Communists are also making vigorous attempts
to bring down manned US high-altitude reconnaissance
aircraft. Intercepted communications on SAM links
show that the North Vietnamese are constantly, at-
tempting to,refine firing techniques against the
fast-flying aircraft. To date, however, only a few
SAM units involved in the reaction have succeeded in
firing their missiles.
Tactical air reconnaissance missions below the
19th Parallel have drawn ground fire on about 20 oc-
casions since 1 November. The firings for the most
part have been limited to light antiaircraft bar-
rages and tracer bullets. .None of these manned mis-
sions has been downed, and only one aircraft has been
hit.
During the first quarter of 1965, an average of
12 Japanese ships per month called at North Vietnam,
most of them in ballast to carry North Vietnamese coal
back to Japan. Since March 1965, however, only one
? Japanese vessel has called at North Vietnam--in May
1968. Plans for further trips were canceled shortly
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thereafter, following informal US representations
and informal pressure by the Japanese Government.
* * *
Hon Gal Kep Rail Line: Construction has re-
sumed on the Hon Gal Kep rail line after a three-
month lull. Photography of mid-October reveals that
bridges and other facilities have been worked on
throughout the 66-mile route. However, most of the
construction, including several rail spurs, three
short bridges, and a causeway, has been concentrated
in an area 30 miles west of Hon Gal.
This line has been under construction since
June 1967, but work was interrupted by flooding dur-
ing the 1968 rainy season.
When completed, the line will connect North
Vietnam's main coal producing area and the secondary
port of Hon Gai with the main industrial areas of
North Vietnam.
-II. NORTH VIETNAMESE REFLECTIONS OF US POLITICAL
,ATTITUDES ON THE WAR
There is nothing of significance to report.
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Top Secret
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